


It's Just Another New Year's Eve

by Lamsfan



Series: Lams [13]
Category: 18th Century CE RPF, American Revolution RPF, Hamilton - Miranda, Historical RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, New Year's Eve, No Plot/Plotless, Title is a Barry Manilow song
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-01
Updated: 2019-01-01
Packaged: 2019-10-02 07:04:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17259743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lamsfan/pseuds/Lamsfan
Summary: I can't sleep and I'm not interested in what's on TV, kinda like Alex.





	It's Just Another New Year's Eve

Alex turned over again, adjusting and readjusting the comforter and pillows until John’s pillow was against his face and he could breathe in his scent.  The combination of woodsy after shave, charcoal pencils and hospital soap was uniquely John. It usually made Alex feel warm and safe but inhaling it tonight did nothing to make him feel less lonely.  Or, at least, less alone.  He had thought going to bed early would make being by himself on New Year’s Eve less difficult.  He wasn’t even sure why he felt so strange.  He’d spent many holidays alone before he met John but now, he couldn’t imagine life without him.  He lay there, listening to his neighbors’ parties and the loud, slow tick, tick, tick of the grandfather clock they bought when they moved into their brownstone.  He had never really noticed the sound of the clock before; it chimed every quarter hour but it was just part of the sounds of their home.  Now he considered stopping the pendulum; its rhythmic sway an additional reminder of the lonely minutes passing. 

He finally gave up on sleeping and padded into the kitchen for a glass of water; the dinner dishes were still in the sink, remnants of their attempt to have a New Year’s Eve celebration before John began his shift earlier that afternoon.   He made his way into the living room sofa and turned on the TV.  He scrolled through the cable guide twice before narrowing his choices to marathons of The Twilight Zone and Criminal Minds, then deciding that either of those would just make his anxiety worse.  Star Trek: Enterprise even had an episode with scary looking aliens. When he couldn’t stand it anymore, he muted the guide and dialed John, who picked up before the first ring ended. 

“Hey, love.”  John heard what sounded like a sniffle.  “What’s wrong?” 

Alex took a deep breath and settled his voice before answering. “Nothing.  I just miss you and hate us starting the year apart."  He ran his fingers through his hair while he considered what to say next.  "Are you really busy? I thought maybe we could watch the ball drop together.” 

“I’m not near a TV.  Can you describe it to me?  It’ll be like our college breaks when I would go home to South Carolina and you would describe everything I was missing on campus.  I would just listen to your voice and feel like I was there.” 

Alex changed the channel to Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.  “There’s nothing happening yet, just shots of the crowd and Ryan Seacrest making bad jokes.  Why would anyone voluntarily go to Times Square in the rain and be surrounded by that mass of people?  And who’s going to clean up that mess?” 

“You know, it’s one of those bucket list things people like being able to say they did.  We even did it once.  Remember?  That drunk girl turned to kiss you and threw up all over your new coat.” 

He did remember. It had even been fun until that happened. “Yeah, I only wore that coat because it had a hood and I didn’t want to flatten my hair with a hat.  My vanity got me again,” he chuckled.  “It’s a good thing I’m not superstitious, though.  Being vomited on at the stroke of midnight was _not_ good, especially if I believed it was a symbol of how my year would go.”  He stopped for a moment and thought about all they had been through over the past year, good and bad.  But they had been through it together and that was all that mattered. 

“Hey, John,” he eventually said, interrupting the comfortable silence.  “Go back to work.  I was just feeling weird.  I’m better now.  I just needed to hear your voice.” 

“Good.  I’m glad to hear I could help.  Happy New Year.  I’ll be home as soon as I -” 

“Wait, hold on a sec.  Someone’s fiddling with the door.  Probably one of our drunk neighbors.  Wrong house,” Alex called through the door just as it started to swing open.  “What the hell?  Get out of my house!”  He picked up a walking stick from the umbrella stand by the door and raised it to strike. 

“Alex, honey, wait, it’s me!”  John stepped into the foyer and put down his bag.  “Surprise!” he said sheepishly. 

Alex dropped the stick and pounced on John like a wild and hungry animal, wrapping his arms around his neck and pulling him into a kiss, all heat and tongue.  “What are you doing here?  How?” he gasped when he was finally able to pull away. 

“I was getting out of the Uber when you called.  I wanted to surprise you.  You don’t want to know the favors I had to call in.”  He was rambling as he took off his coat.  “You don’t mind celebrating Valentine’s Day on February 15, do you?”  He pulled Alex to the television, where the countdown was just beginning.  “Great!  I made it!”  He draped one arm over Alex’s shoulder and pulled him close as they started counting down with Seacrest and the crowd.  He could already hear fireworks starting outside.  “NINE, EIGHT…” 

Alex’s arm went around his back and he joined in, “SEVEN, SIX, FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO, ONE!”  He twisted in John’s arms to face him.  “Happy New Year!  I love you.”  As Auld Lang Syne began playing in the background, he stood on his toes and captured John’s lips in a kiss, this one softer than before, less urgent but somehow more passionate.  He could feel his heart trying to beat its way out of his chest.  Or was it their grandfather clock striking midnight?  It didn’t matter.  He was starting the new year with his true love.  And the next time his head hit his pillow, Alex knew he would sleep soundly.

 


End file.
